My husband's family is running and walking the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Syracuse this weekend. Once again, Team Jean is the top fundraiser.

We lost Jean to a long 6-year fight last year. She was just 40. Her three kids are doing okay. Having lost my mom to breast cancer when I was 14 and the oldest of 4 kids, I feel a special bond with those kids.

Jean's 12-year old daughter, Nicole, wrote this poem:

My Rock
by Nicole (Spring 2008)

One day I was walking along the beach.
There beside me stood a rock, I
Carried this rock everywhere, so when
I needed to talk to this rock I could.

As me and my rock were watching the waves
I noticed that there was one big rough wave
headed my way. A few moments after, me and my rock
took a long walk on the sandy shore.

When I took another step in the smooth
warm sand, I turned to look at my rock. I saw that my rock was stiff
and hard. As the water came in and touched my feet,

It took my rock away from me. My rock
was gone now forever. That moment it was as if
I grew an ocean in my eye, but then I looked up at the sky.
I remembered that this rock would always be here with me even then it's not.

*Team Jean is walking so that no other Rocks are taken away.